Wintry Advent
by Mini Peacelet
Summary: 17 one-shots that should have been 24 one-shots (variety of characters and pairings) as we count down to Christmas 2014!
1. Posadas

**_A/N: _**_Hi all :) this is a random idea I came up with influenced by advent calendars. So for the twenty-four days up until Christmas Day I'm going to write a one-shot with a Christmas/Wintry theme. Some will include a range of characters, others will just be based on individuals, and some may be focused on a certain pairing (a mixture of canon and non-canon). I'm not entirely sure this is such a great idea considering how rubbish I am at updating - but I'm going to try my very best to update daily! But I have a few one-shots written already. _

_I'm open to suggestions and prompts - I will probably be needing them towards the end! Also, feel free to request characters and pairings. If I know the character well enough or feel I can do the pairing justice then I will write a one-shot based on them._

_This first one isn't that brilliant and many probably haven't even heard of 'Posadas' (I hadn't either until a few weeks ago!) but I'm using all the ideas I can and this is most appropriate for 1 only. Posadas is a tradition originating from Mexico - and I read in a local parish magazine that my area were looking for volunteers to take part in a version of this tradition. I hope you'll sort of understand what it's about once you have read this one-shot!_

_The next one-shot will be better and more familiar, I promise! I'd love to know what you all think? :) _

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>1. Posadas<strong>

"This better be quick, and important. We are all wasting valuable time standing here doing absolutely nothing constructive." Connie exhaled an exasperated sigh in her typical sharp and hostile tone as she dramatically glanced at her expensive watch and tapped her designer shoe against the cheap linoleum floor impatiently.

"It won't take long, I promise." Noel guaranteed the clinical lead before he addressed the entire staff currently in the ED, clustered around the nurses station and staring inquisitively at the cardboard box positioned on the counter. "Right, everyone listen up!" Obtaining everyones attention, the receptionist raised the box to reveal a scene replication of nativity; miniature models of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem standing outside an old stable with a donkey and baby Jesus.

"I thought we could do our own version of Posadas!" He grinned zealously, the white fluffy pom pom on the end of his red Santa hat bobbled as enthusiastic. It may only have been the first day of December but Noel was already feeling the festive spirit with still twenty-four days to go.

"Pos-a-da what?!" The ginger haired nurse was the first to respond, a spontaneous burst of perplexity yet with an expression of equal curiosity as she desired for more details about the idea her friend was proposing.

"Posadas." Dylan repeated bluntly, "It's a tradition that originates from Mexico." He elaborated briefly, displaying his extensive knowledge arrogantly and propped himself against the painted wall, muttering as he knocked his hand on a hand sanitiser dispenser.

"Yes! Exactly, Dylan." Noel praised and then continued to explain some more background information related to the tradition, "Families welcome a replica 'Mary and Joseph' into their homes for one night and provide shelter and food for the couple. They then move on to a new host family for all twenty-four nights. But obviously we're gonna do an adaption of this tradition. So for each of the twenty-three nights until Christmas Eve, I was thinking that a different person takes the model home for a night and then brings it back into the ED the next day. On Christmas Eve, we then take the model into the local church. So what do we all think?" He was passionate about his initiative.

"But there is just one _minor_ problem isn't there? Well, actually it's quite a significant detail." The conceited consultant stated matter-of-factly, "Incase it wasn't already clear to you, or you've forgotten, we are in Holby. Not Mexico."

Connie peered over her shoulder petulantly, observing the increasing activity developing in reception as more members of the public accumulated with various injuries that required medical attention. Whilst everyone wasn't treating patients, the efficiency standards for _her_ department were certainly not cutting it. "This is ridiculous. Can't you arrange this in your own time and not my time? You do not get paid to stand around and do nothing!" They were definitely testing her short fuse.

"Okay everyone, just come and sign this sheet when you get chance - remember, I need twenty-three volunteers! It'll be at reception with me! You'd best get back to work, the _ice_- uhh Mrs Beauchamp has spoken!" The receptionist declared and dismissed his fellow colleagues.

"What a misuse of time and energy that was." Dylan muttered as he collected a patient file and returned to cubicles to assess the casualty, "And so very pointless."

"So, Robyn..." Noel lowered his pitch, "Can I add your name to the list?"

Robyn nodded, "Sure, count me in." Subsequently to learning about the tradition, participating seemed harmless, "You can add Max and Lofty too, they won't mind." She smiled innocently as she noticed most had scarpered as soon as they had the opportunity without signing their name on the crisp piece of paper. "Charlie!" The bubbly nurse attracted the senior nurse's focus and he walked over casually.

"Robyn? What can I do for you?"

"You'll take in the nativity model for one night won't you?" She grinned cheerfully, fluttering her thick eyelashes that were coated with a couple of layers of jet black mascara.

Charlie sighed marginally, "It's not really my thing..." He contemplated mentally how he was going to escape this request that he had zero interest of partaking in.

"Pleeeaase Charlie?" The ginger haired girl pleaded, an innocent expression refined her features accompanied with puppy dog eyes and a pout. _Irresistible tactics._

"Oh go on then...as long as you promise that you will actually do some work now. Tess isn't here, so this means I'm head nurse for today, and I'm really not on the mood for a confrontation with our delightful leader." He compromised reasonably to which Robyn nodded contently and tottered off to locate her next patient.


	2. Angel

_**A/N: **Wow, thank you for all the reviews, I never thought this would be so popular! I will try and write something for all the pairings you have requested eventually - I need to come up with ideas first. This one is Dixie/Jeff - wrote this in advance to posting this! :)_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent <span>

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><p><strong>2. Angel<strong>

Dixie was perched on the edge of one of the material seats in the ambulance station staffroom, elbow propped on the wooden chair arm and chin resting on her knuckle as she stirred the stainless steel teaspoon around the mug of steamy tea vacantly. The sugar had dissolved ages ago and the elements that contributed to a proper brew were definitely combined together; the heat was rapidly evaporating into the atmosphere. But the female paramedic was too engulfed in a trance to notice.

"Dix? Earth to Dixie?"

The blonde glanced up blankly, snapping out of her potent daze, and observed Mac. How long had he been there? She didn't have a clue. Big Mac had entered the restroom and deposited an abundant cardboard box onto the table. There are sparkly trimmings of tinsel poking out the edge of the box where it had been resealed poorly at the end of last year which mutedly informed Dixie that her colleague had located the Christmas decorations.

"Are you okay, Dix?" He asked as he plonked himself down on the chair next to the female, tone laced with concern and compassion, "You looked in deep thought."

"Yeah, as fine as I'm gonna be I suppose." She exhaled a long, forlorn sigh and dropped the spoon in the mug, concluding that her hot beverage would now be cold - not that she actually fancied it anymore anyway. "Did you want something?"

"No, no not particularly. I just bought in the Christmas decorations. And I was asking you what's in the bag." Mac gestured to the black, leather holdall on the floor, positioned to the side of Dixie's feet.

Dixie diverted her gaze to the carpeted floor, her features immediately succumbed to misery and a numbing heartache that only ever disappeared temporarily, never permanently. "Jeff's ashes are in there, I went to scatter them this morning but I couldn't do it." She dipped her head, poignancy rich in her wavering voice that was no more than a feeble whisper, "How can I even think about Christmas without Jeffrey? I can't be happy without him."

"I know it's hard, Dix. But it will get easier." The former porter tentatively rested his hand on his fellow paramedic's arm; a silent sign of moral support, "Jeffrey wouldn't want us moping around, he'd want us to be happy and to live our lives to the full."

"I just miss him so flipping much, though."

"We all do, we all do." Big Mac regained his equilibrium and treaded over to the box and opened it, then rummaging around until he located a certain item. The angel that sat on top of tree, radiating so proudly. "See this." He produced the angel from the cardboard box, "We will put this on top of the tree because this is what happens to all the good people, they are angels in the sky watching over us now. He'll be watching over us in here - not that he already isn't - whilst we drink tea and eat all the custard creams and whilst we remember all the good times we had with him."

"He used to love this angel." Dixie stroked the feathery edge of the angel with the delicate pad of her thumb tenderly, "I had no idea why. But he always insisted that we put it on top of the tree in here. I used to argue and say that the star was much better. I'd let him have the angel on top of the tree every year if he was still here."

"I know," He sympathised, Jeff's death had shocked the entire ED - it had been so sudden and tragic. Mac assembled the artificial Christmas tree and added the multicoloured lights, twinkling tinsel and numerous baubles before allowing Dixie to position the angel on top. "Would you like me to come with you, so you can scatter Jeff's ashes?" He offered cautiously as he perceived the blonde clasp the holdall into her hands.

She nodded, "Yeah, yeah please."

Together, they both clambered into the ambulance and Big Mac twisted the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. This would be Jeffrey's final journey before he would be laid to rest. When they arrived at their destination, Dixie climbed out the ambulance with her husband's ashes and padded towards the cliff edge.

The ground was still crisp from the morning frost, the lush, green strips of grass had been sprinkled with a wispy glisten of elegant white dust. In the near horizon, the turquoise waves rippled placidly, rolling gracefully up the shingle beach before retreating back to the icy ocean. It was cold. The temperature was still fluctuating around zero degrees celsius, and every time Dixie exhaled a breath, a cloud of white haze hovered from her lips.

She devoured the rural landscape intently, she had never been here prior to now but Jeff had always loved this place. And it was the perfect location to scatter his ashes, so tranquil and serene. He deserved peace.

Dixie tilted her head back, gazing up into the crystal-blue sky with only the occasional fluffy cloud adorning the block of bright colour. "Are you listening Jeffrey?" It was a delicate whisper, tiny teardrops forming a glassy texture over her pupils. "This place is beautiful, I can see why you liked it here."

"You'd better be somewhere, and you'd better be happy, because I'm so flippin' mad at you for leaving me." The blonde was ready to crumble - all over again - a single tear rolled onto her cheek as she dropped the lid of the wooden box and allowed the ashes to stream out, carried by the calm breeze and scattered over the land.

She stared back at the sky and nodded contently, "I know you are up there with the angels, and I know you'll be watching over us all. But as long as your happy, that's all I've ever wanted." Mac flicked the sirens on for a couple of strident blares so he captured Dixie's attention. He didn't want to rush her but there was only so long they could be absent with an ambulance. "Goodbye Jeffrey."


	3. Mulled Wine

**_A/N: _**_Thank you for reading and reviewing. Here's the next one-shot, this time revolving around Zoe and Max. There will be more Zoe/Max one shots in the future but I'm going to try and use a variety of characters to mix it up. Hope you like it!_ :)

_Also I don't really watch Holby so I can't do a cross over one shot, sorry!_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>3. Mulled Wine<strong>

Perched on the spacious window seat, propped around large fluffy and comfortable cushions, Zoe gazed tranquilly out of the glass pane, fixating her attention to each of the tiny, individual snowflakes that fluttered gracefully from the heavens, spiralling down to the crisp ground that was already coated with a thick layer of the white substance.

The glass was faintly crystallised with a frosted effect, from the snowflakes that had landed and then consequently frozen there from the bitter temperatures. A subtle, steamy mist was also accumulating from the brunette's breath as she tenderly exhaled repeatedly.

The trees had been stripped of their leaves, dotted along the edge of the wide roads of New York at regular intervals. Their exposed branches arced beneath the wait of the heavy snow that had innocently settled upon them, groaning and grouching silently. The sun was just emerging from behind the dense snow clouds - although it was a cold sun - and chased away the remaining dusky shadows as dawn finally arrived and swallowed the darkness.

Colossal christmas trees had been decked with luminous lights in diverse colours and an array of shimmering tinsel and gigantic baubles, towering high and nearing the height of the skyscraper buildings. Strings of fairy lights and attractive holly suspended from opposite buildings, glowing proudly. The ambience was buzzing as everybody prepared for the festive season.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Zoe jerked with a start, rotating her head to peer at her boyfriend who had just appeared from the bathroom as she escaped her harmless daze. She nodded and rose to her feet, padding across the polished wooden floor which was thankfully heated with underground pipes.

"It's snowed heavy during the night!" she exclaimed excitedly. The weightless, frozen precipitation just made the scenery even more pretty. Stunning.

"Great! This means I can throw snowballs at people." The porter beamed contently as he shrugged his jacket over his shoulders and quickly added a sentence subsequently to the ominous gaze Zoe casted disapprovingly, "At other people, definitely not you...I wouldn't dream of it..."

"Good. Let's go," Zoe announced after she had wrapped her fluffy coat around her slender frame, handbag slung effortlessly over her arm. She couldn't wait to explore the city for the very first time.

~\~\~\~\~

"I thought we just came to New York for the Christmas shopping..." A faint frown succumbed Max's previously jolly features, the apprehension tickling his tone, "Not to go ice skating on a frozen lake."

The consultant shrugged, "We did, but I'm hardly going to decline the chance to skate on a frozen lake in such beautiful scenery. I mean, where can you do this in Holby? No where!" She laughed with a joyous grin as she exchanged her designer heels for the ice skates.

Max reluctantly copied her actions and followed his girlfriend to a vacant bench where they slipped their feet into the skates and fastened the laces, "Zoe...I've never been ice skating, like how am I supposed to balance in these stupid things?" He muttered shyly, only audible to the female. He wobbled dangerously when he attempted to stand up, retreating to the wooden seat promptly.

Zoe chuckled in a amusement, "Oh relax, you'll be fine! I thought Max was daring for anything?"

"Yeah, but it's gonna hurt if I fall on me arse isn't it?!" He muttered, bubbling with disdain.

She nodded, there was no point in telling him that it wouldn't because it sure would, "I promise I won't laugh if you do. Come on, just hold my hand." Holding out her hand, the porter clasped his fingers around her palm and at a leisurely rate they stepped onto the thick ice that had evolved over the vast lake. "Now carefully glide one foot in front of the other."

"Zo! This is so not cool, I swear I'm going to fall over." He complained with a grumble as he faltered in several directions, clutching the doctor's hand as if it was a life or death matter, "Everybody's staring at me...us!" He hoped that by embarrassing the older woman she would agree to return to land.

"Be positive, you'll get the hang of it soon."

Hands interlaced they drifted adroitly across the natural ice and Max finally discovered his balance and felt confident enough to skate alone. Releasing himself from Zoe's grasp was his greatest error. He skidded to a halt, the rhythm that allowed him to retain his equilibrium had vanished and he tumbled onto the floor. But Zoe instantly learnt that he was absolutely fine - excluding his pride - as he murmured expletives under his breath. And all she could do was erupt into innocent laughter.

"Zoe, it is not funny!" Max hissed as he scrambled to his feet with a lack of coordination, pulling himself up on an old willow tree that had arched and contorted over the glistening lake.

"You're right." The brunette giggled as she skated elegantly over to her lover, "It's hilarious." She corrected with a mischievous smirk.

"You promised you wouldn't laugh." He was sulking. Really stroppy. "We are so going now before I gain any more injuries. And before my backside gets any wetter." He huffed as he practically dragged his spirited girlfriend off the ice.

"What injuries? You are completely fine!" She rolled her rich, chocolate orbs dramatically and stifled a laugh. His current behaviour was such a hyperbole.

"My pride is severely bruised."

Zoe removed her dainty feet from the ice skates and placed them back into her trademark stilettos, "You'll live." She lacked the compassion he desired, "I'll buy you a mulled wine - alcohol makes everything better!" His face was refined with a contented grin at the mention of booze.

The warming wintry spices suffocated her nose pleasantly - it had tainted the atmosphere for a while now - the rising steam resulting in a faint rosy colour flushing her cheeks and she cupped her hands around the disposable cup gratefully to heat her numb, perfectly manicured fingertips.

"Okay so maybe that ice skating was worth it since you bought me a mug of this delicious concoction." Max stated sincerely as he ingested another mouthful of the crimson-red liquid. He soon devoured the beverage, crumpling the cup and depositing it in the litter bin. The porter subsequently enveloped his muscular arms around the petite frame of his cherished girlfriend, "Merry Christmas babe." He pressed his lips against her lipsticked ones, kissing her passionately, the flavours of the mulled wine still dominant.

"You are so so not having anymore mulled wine if this is what it does to you...in public at least." Dr Hanna wasn't accustomed to the public displays of affection - they always attended to conceal their relationship around Holby. But she grinned with a smirk and brushed her lips against his once again.


	4. Gingerbread

_**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews - there will be more Zoe/Max one shots to come later on. And I will write for past pairings providing I know the characters; so I'll do a Sam/Tom one shot soon since I have an idea ;) this one is Connie/Rita and quite random but I hope you enjoy it! :D_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>4. Gingerbread<strong>

A toasty and warming essence of sweet gingerbread had hovered in the atmosphere of the cosy home for months now. The spiced aroma was particularly potent currently as gingerbread cookies baked to a delicious gold in the oven, the scent fusing out of the scorching oven and into the confined air. Rita was cooking another batch of her favourite biscuits even though it was 2 o'clock in the morning.

Candidly, Connie was starting to the loath the scent, especially since she had been tolerating the aroma since early July. Gingerbread was not a summer or autumn flavour. But now that it was finally December - Christmas was just a matter of months away - she was gradually learning to be more fond of the spiced smell that was indeed festive.

The blonde had deposited the raw mixture on the baking tray into the preheated oven and padded into the living room where she had flopped down onto the plush couch, covering herself with a fluffy blanket that was too small as he feet poked out the end, and absentmindedly rested her hands on her forever expanding baby bump.

Connie suddenly roused with a start, a piercing and continuous bleeping noise reverberated the previously muted ambience. She squinted at the clock, bewildered with the abrupt awakening and still half dozing as she rubbed her eyes sleepily. It was then a burning aroma tickled her nostrils and she leapt to her feet.

The clinical lead dashed down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and raced into the smokey kitchen where she located the source of the burning that resulted in the smoke alarm blaring stridently, and her wife. Bloody gingerbread biscuits. She raised her hand to conceal her mouth as she coughed, the hazy smoke irritating her dry throat and then grabbed a magazine off the counter and waved it frantically in front of the smoke alarm sensor, wafting the smoke away and regaining a pleasant silence.

"Are you okay?" The brunette inquired, tone laced with compassion and concern as she unlatched the windows in the kitchen to allow the smoke to float out and the fresh breeze to wisp inside.

Rita nodded as she ran her hand tentatively over her swollen stomach, "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't know what happened...I put the cookies into bake and the next thing I'm being woken up by the smoke alone." She frowned with a perplexed expression and raked her fingers through her tousled hair subconsciously.

Connie peered at the seared biscuits and screwed her nose up slightly, "Well, judging by the colour of them I think you left them in the oven far too long. And obviously long enough to set the smoke alarm off in the process."

The nurse dipped her head shamefully and gazed at the floor, "I only went to sit down whilst I waited for them to cook, I must have fallen asleep." She concluded logically before pouting forlornly and prodded at one of the charred gingerbread cookies, debating whether it was at all edible.

"I think these are for the bin; in fact they definitely are." The former heart surgeon grasped the oven-mittens to protect her delicate skin against the scalding tray and ambled towards the bin until Rita spoke and halted her in her tracks.

"No! Wait!" Her pregnant wife exclaimed abruptly, drifting towards the older woman gradually.

"What?" A mystified frown succumbed Connie's neutral features, curious as to the reason why she wanted the toasted attempts at home baking because it certainly wasn't appetising and palatable.

"You can't throw them away." The blonde shook her head, orbs flickering with faint anxiety and fear for the cookies safety, "I've eaten all the ginger biscuits you had made and the emergency packet from the shop. And I used the last of the ginger in that set of cookies. But _your_ daughter is demanding gingerbread right now." Rita had developed a real craving for the flavour gingerbread from almost the start of her pregnancy.

"But these are really not going to do you a lot of good, or the baby for that matter. Besides, you won't be able to even taste the ginger because they are that burnt." She stated bluntly and dropped the cookies into the bin before puckering her perfectly arced brow, "Wait! Why is she _my_ daughter when she's ordering for gingerbread at this ridiculous hour?!" Stifling a half-hearted laugh, she deposited the tray in the sink and observed the younger female as she awaited an answer.

Rita shrugged innocently, her already rosy cheeks flushing a deeper shade of crimson as she smiled mischievously, "She must be _yours_ to have such a desire for an odd taste; especially at this annoying hour. You like weird thing - like those green, pear-shaped things that have wrinkly skin." She juddered at the thought, the texture just creeped her out completely.

"Avocados. It's called an avocado."

"I don't care what it's called. They're still horrible." The nurse huffed and folded her arms across her chest, "Connieee," she whinged petulantly, "I want some gingerbread."

The brunette shuffled towards the cupboard, opening it and rummaging through the contents in search for something to cure her pregnant wife's craving until a more sensible hour, "Uhhh, what about a gingerbread latte?" She presented the box containing individual sachets of a coffee, milk and gingerbread concoction.

"Coffee?" Rita disapproved with a serious scowl, "Are you serious? I have enough trouble sleeping without the extra caffeine. And she certainly doesn't need anymore energy since she already treats me like a human football."

"I am more than aware of the effects of caffeine but it is all we have that contains gingerbread." The clinical lead exhaled a sigh, hinted with exasperation. Perhaps marginally patronising. She was tired. And when she was tired, she was extremely grumpy, "What do you want me to do?" She placed a hand gracefully on her hip, a natural action that had accompanied her role in the ED.

"Uhm...go out and buy me some more gingerbread cookies? Pretty please?" The blonde fluttered her eyelashes that were coated with two layers of jet black mascara, now smudged around her orbs slightly since she had been wearing it all day. A flawless imperfection. She had never been brilliant nor accurate when applying the make-up component.

"What? At this hour? You must be joking." The brunette scoffed and rolled her rich orbs, brushing her wild, curly locks from her face.

Her expression was totally solemn, there was no humour in her manner, "I never joke about something so serious."

"It's just as well I love you." Connie muttered as she collected her coat off the hook and slipped her feet into her fury boots,"Oh, and while I'm gone please spray something around the house to mask that awful scent of burning gingerbread. It's bad enough that for the past five months I've had the fragrance of gingerbread without smelling like a burnt gingerbread man."


	5. Scrooge

_**A/N: **Again, thanks for the reviews, I love reading them :D This one shot is mostly to do with Connie, with other characters too. There is a little bit of Connie/Cal, I'm not sure I can even call it that because it's so tiny, but yeah. I'll do a proper Connie/Cal one shot later on when I can think of an idea for those who requested. Hope it's up to standard! :3_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>5. Scrooge<strong>

"Do you think Connie will let us start putting up the Christmas decorations now?" Caleb was optimistic that they had waited long enough for their clinical lead to approve their immature desire to deck the emergency department with festive decorations.

"You'll be lucky, I live with Ebenezer Scrooge herself." Rita scoffed as she deposited a pile of patient files onto the counter at the nurses station.

"You're joking aren't you?" Max popped up from virtually nowhere, an expression of pure concern succumbing his serene features.

"No. She hates Christmas. She won't let us put our Christmas tree up until at least the second weekend in December." The blonde nurse huffed forlornly, "She'll never let you decorate the ED this early."

"Oh, shit." The porter muttered and swiftly dashed off in the direction of the confined office that Connie and Zoe shared. As a cordial surprise for his girlfriend - who adored this festive season - he had garnished the office she shared with the leading consultant with many jolly trimmings and decorative items. He hadn't anticipated that his boss wouldn't be as appreciative towards the kind gesture.

Max halted abruptly in his tracks as he noticed that the light in the clinical lead's office now now switched on. His breath accumulated in his throat and his hands were noshing at the pockets of his trousers and he concluded that it was a sensible time to try and blend in with the crowd.

The leading consultant's office door opened hastily and the temperature suddenly plummeted sharply as her icy presence adorned her department, hands resting firmly on her hips, "Who decorated my office with Christmas decorations? Come on, own up. I want to know who is responsible, now!" She was burdened with voluminous scorn that projected in her manner and expression.

There was a silence. Nobody came forward.

"I will find out who is responsible, so the culprit needn't think he or she is safe." She announced and rotated towards her office again.

"Mrs B..." Caleb approached his boss cautiously but with his flirting charm.

"It's Mrs Beauchamp." Connie corrected irritably as she reentered her office and stalked over towards her coffee machine, inserting a mug and pressing the button to make a cappuccino. It was evident that it was going to be a long day.

"Mrs Beauchamp." Dr Knight emphasised the brunette's surname patronisingly, following her into the confined room, "Now probably isn't a good time to ask if we can put the Christmas decorations up in the ED is it?"

"No, it certainly isn't." The clinical lead pirouetted around briskly, attitude remaining cutting and prickly, "And the answer is still no. It's far too early. You are paid to treat people's injuries or solve their medical problems, not to make the department look like there has been an explosion of sparkles."

Cal propped himself against the door frame leisurely, "You're such a scrooge you know." He stated matter-of-factly with a subtle grin dancing upon his lips.

"Excuse me?" She scowled exasperatedly and raised the mug of her freshly made coffee to her lipsticked lips, inhaling the strong coffee bean aroma contently.

"Well it's true, you are a Scrooge." He repeated himself before he opened one of the cardboard boxes that had been stacked neatly in the corner of the office from where Max had retrieved them all and abandoned them there until the festive season was finished.

"What do you think you are doing? Dr Knight, don't you have anything constructive to be completing." Her anger is increasing, she deposited her cappuccino on her desk and stationed her hand on her hip again, glaring bitterly at the male doctor.

"You'll see." Cal smirked teasingly, "And nope, I'm on my break at the moment."

"Well, Caleb. Can't you go have your break somewhere else? You may not have noticed but I am incredibly busy at the moment and you are just being a hinderance of yourself." Connie's tone was gradually becoming more austere as he continued to push his luck.

"Ah ha! Found it!" The consultant spun around proudly clutching a santa hat that was black with a white rim and fluffy white pom-pom, "You will have to wear this then." He swiftly placed the hat on the brunette's head.

"What? Don't be so ridiculous." She hissed as she snatched the hat from her head and raked her fingers through her wild locks in attempt to smooth them from where the hat had ruffled her style, "It says bah humbug? I am not wearing this, it's stupid."

"You have to wear it. It's a tradition we have here. And you are definitely the person who is most like Scrooge and hates Christmas! Your hate is worse than Dylan's!"

"So what if I hate Christmas? It's just a waste of my money and it just adds strain and pressure to this ED's time and resources because people get drunk and do stupid things! I am not wearing that hat." The former heart surgeon stated bluntly.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Are."

"Not."

"Are."

"Fine." Connie's mood was rapidly decreasing, she was even more cranky and moody. "If it'll shut you up and you'll go do some work then I'll wear it. Now go!" She was desperate for some peace and quiet - it was too early for his irritating behaviour.

"I'm going." Caleb grinned, holding his hand up in surrender and then departed the office.

"Mrs B takes the title of Scrooge this year and get's to wear the bah humbug hat." He announced as he rejoined his colleagues around the nurses desk.

"Finally! You have all discovered someone else to give your juvenile name and hat to instead of me." Dylan said bluntly yet ecstatically, "Perhaps now you'll leave me alone." He muttered as he walked off again.

"She'll never wear that hat." Rita laughed, "Never. Despite what she might have said."

"She will." Cal preferred the positive approach to life.

"So, can anybody guess what this years Holby pantomime is going to be?" Noel's excitement was zealous, eyes flickering around the doctors and nurses who had clustered together for the announcement, "Ebenezer Scrooge!" Simultaneously, everybody's head rotated round promptly and locked on the brunette.

Connie's glare was hostile and prickly, arms folded across her chest fiercely, "No. No. I am absolutely not taking part. It isn't up for discussion. End of. Now, please return to what you are paid for - treating patients!" And with that she strutted out of the chaotic ED and back into her little office.

"I told you she wouldn't wear that silly hat." The blonde nurse smirked smugly.


	6. Reindeers

_**A/N: **Thanks for reviewing :) this chapter includes a range of characters, inspired from the Casualty winter trailer. There is a little bit of Cal/Ethan in this one - not sure it was exactly what was requested, though. Again, there will be a one shot focusing on them later on! Enjoy! _

_Has anyone got any Christmas themed prompts they'd like to share with me? (I write quite a few days in advance to this and could do with some more ideas!) even if it's just some more Christmasy words! Thanks in advance. :)_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent <span>

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><p><strong>6. Reindeers<strong>

"This is going to be so humiliating." The chasten and shame was as equally noticeable in his words as his posture. Caleb was petulant about the prospect of wearing a reindeer costume for one entire day. Twenty-four hours. It was too long. It was mortifying even strolling down the road - four reindeers together - with members of the public gawping and sniggering in amusement.

"But let's remember who's idea it was originally that the losers of the quiz have to dress up as reindeers." The ginger haired nurse stated matter-of-factly with a teasing hint. She was the only one in the group not wearing a reindeer attire, "Ethan just wanted the winners to be bought a crate of beer or wine, but it was you who wanted to spice things up more." She gestured to the male doctor.

Cal rolled his eyes sulkily, loathing that Robyn was right and he couldn't deny it, "Well it's boring just playing for booze all the time. And I didn't think we would actually lose. I was really looking forward to seeing my brother in this costume."

"I am just so glad that it's you and not me." Robyn giggled spiritedly as she momentarily pirouetted around sharply on her feet to locate her brother who was suspiciously quiet, "Max? What are you doing?!" She frowned perplexedly as she observed the porter hopping from object to object repeatedly and ducking behind the obstacle, then poking his head around the corner to check if anyone was watching before he made a prompt dash to the next vehicle or wheelie bin.

"What does it look like?" Max peered cautiously around the edge of the car, "I'm hiding! This costume hardly does my street credit any good does it?"

"Well I think that these costumes are cute." Honey beamed happily as she trotted along in her stilettos, twirling a lock of chocolate brown mixed with blonde swirls around her finger.

"Well you would wouldn't you." The porter rolled his orbs exasperated as he sprinted in front of the others and dived down behind another car.

"But Max, people are going to see you all day at the hospital. You're a porter, your job involves interaction with other humans, and most of the people in there are locals anyway." Lofty stated bluntly with a trace of confusion as he leisurely cycled at a slow pace, weaving up the concrete pavement behind his colleagues. He was also dressed as a reindeer and correspondingly unimpressed.

"I look ridiculous though." Max huffed as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his reindeer costume and dipped his head as he sauntered into the hospital grounds. His expression was like thunder with embarrassment. This shift was sure to drag.

"Don't we..aaaaah! All." Lofty had been vaguely conscious of the car the was approaching by his side but failed to give it his proper attention, automatically presuming that the driver would have noticed him in their wing mirror. He was wrong. So very wrong. Zoe had opened her car door right in the nurse's track and sent him flying over the handle bars of his bike and tumbling to the ground, muttering irritably.

"Lofty, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you." Zoe had dashed out of her vehicle and descended to the ground by the nurse, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, rubbing his neck briefly, "I'm sure I'll live. And there was me thinking that Rudolph would bring me more luck." He grunted as he pulled the hood of his costume back over his head, the fake antlers bouncing. Lofty was the only that had a red nose, all the others had acquired black ones.

"Why are you all dressed as reindeers anyway?" Zoe stifled a light chuckle as she tucked her sleek hair behind her ears and observed Max, Lofty, Honey and Cal.

Max stood awkwardly, shoulders hunched and avoiding all direct eye contact, "It's a long story."

"And all his fault." Lofty added and glared at the male doctor who was the reason they were now in this situation. Caleb just shrugged futilely; innocently.

Zoe regained her equilibrium and ambled across to her boyfriend, "You make an attractive reindeer you know." She tormented with a smirk and pecked his lips, "I guess I could get used to dating a human reindeer."

"Zo, it is not funny. This is so humiliating." The porter ranted frustratedly, scowling ominously.

"Look, Mummy!" Grace exclaimed excitedly as she pointed to the small cluster of people clothed in reindeer outfits and tugged herself free from where she had previously been clutching her mother's hand and scampered across to the doctors and nurses, "Rudolph! Can I have a ride? Pretty please?" She fluttered her long, thick eyelashes and jumped onto Lofty before he had the opportunity to respond and object.

Connie shook her head uninspired and passionless for the stupid clothes they were wearing. There was never a dull moment. And then hurried after her daughter - a mission in her trademark heels that definitely were not designed for running, "Grace! Get off him." She instructed with authority as she scanned the four dressed inappropriately, as she considered, "That attire really isn't suitable for work."

"They had a bet, Mrs Beauchamp. They have to wear the reindeer costumes for a day." Robyn explained concisely, "They'll still be on top form and work without distraction." She smiled sweetly.

"It's still not very appropriate, but I suppose I'll let you off just this once. But it better not interfere with your work or create problems, or there will be trouble." The clinical lead warned sincerely and tutted mutedly.

"Rudolph! Come on, give me a ride!" Grace whinged as Lofty made no effort to please the hyper eight year old.

"Grace, darling. Rudolph has work to do." The brunette restrained her daughter from the agitated nurse, "You'll have to make do with - uhm - Vixen, he's not so busy." She spoke firmly as she introduced her daughter to Max. Grace instantly leapt onto the porter's back, contented with the arrangement, "Come on, Vixen!" She grinned.

"Who said I was Vixen?" Max objected, groaning as the girl lunged herself onto his back. This day was just going to get worse.

"Me. Now the rest of you go do something constructive, like work, please." She ordered with assertion and walked into the ED with poise, heels clicking sharply against the linoleum surface with every step.

"Have fun." Zoe smirked as she crossed her arms and watched as Max reluctantly trotted off with his boss's offspring.

"The costume suits you so well." Ethan joked and laughed at the appearance of his brother, thankful that it wasn't himself in that position. He was sure to be teased throughout the day.

Dr Knight scoffed crankily, "It should have been you wearing it, not me."

"No, it certainly suits you better." Dr Hardy corrected with a nod.

"I agree," Lily smiled as she appeared beside Ethan, "But where are your antlers? You are supposed to be a male reindeer...or does it resemble you? You've lost them fighting with other males in attempt to try and catch the eyes of the girls and successfully pull? You have always failed at that." She shrugged and strolled off to treat her next patient.

Ethan couldn't restrain his mild laughter, "I hope you've learnt your lesson, cheating never gets you anywhere."

_''What colour are the berries on the mistletoe plant?'_

_"So Bro, can I get you another drink?" Caleb had deserted his own table where his team members were perched and swanned across to his brothers table - and his opponents._

_Ethan glanced up, pushing his glasses further up his nose ad he did so, "Er no, thank you. I'm sure you asked me that just a few questions ago." He recalled elusively with a faint frown, "Don't you think you should head back to the others? They probably need all the help they can get." Dr Knight's team were lacking in a few points._

_"This is so unfair!" Lily complained angrily, "He keeps coming over here with stupid excuses to sneak a look at our answers because they don't know the answers. It's cheating." She was wise to her plan and was now one step ahead of him having mentally deciphered a plan for the final question that would decide the winner._

_'Team A correct. And team B also have the right answer! Now for the final question. Name all of Santa's reindeers.'_

_As predicted, Cal shuffled over again with another pointless justification, peering slyly at what they had wrote before returning to his own team with his newly attained knowledge, "So there are 8 reindeers...Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Blitzen and Donner." He whispered as Honey scribbled their answer down._

_"There's more than eight reindeers." Robyn disagreed, "There's nine!"_

_"I know," Dr Chao quickly adjusted their answer and added the final reindeer name, "But they're copying our answers." She whispered, "And it's not exactly false information saying there are just eight reindeers because up until the twentieth century there was, Rudolph is a relatively new creation." She smiled smugly._

_The answers were revealed and Ethan, Lily and Robyn had won. Despite there being three of them against the four others._

_"How could you forget Prancer?!" Max was on the edge of erupting with rage as Caleb shot a fury riddled glare at his brother, "Now we have to dress as reindeers for tomorrow." He muttered and grabbed his pint, downing the beverage promptly.__'_

Cal grunted, "Yes, I obviously have. And I am never - ever - going to forget Prancer in the rest of my lifetime."

That reindeer had a serious lot to answer for.


	7. Christmas Tree

_**A/N: **Thanks for reading and reviewing, it's greatly appreciated! And thank you so much for the prompts, they've given me some ideas! I'll try and include them where I can (although I have sort of already written/included a couple of the prompts!). This is Connie/Grace along with a character I've made up. Hope you like it! :) _

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>7. Christmas Tree<strong>

"Can Izzy come with us to get our Christmas tree? Please Mummy!" Grace was bubbling with zealous exhilaration, peppily bouncing around the room whilst she impatiently waited for her mother to finish getting ready so they could go out.

"Grace, I'm sure Isabelle has far more important things to be doing than accompanying us whilst we buy our tree." Connie stated bluntly as she applied a fresh coat of lipstick to her lips in the mirror, observing her daughter in the reflection.

Isabelle was Grace's current nanny; one that the girl actually liked and had the ability to control the unruly nine year old successfully. The clinical lead had been a little apprehensive when she had hired this babysitter; Isabelle was young and perhaps a touch on the wild side with her charisma. But as the days passed, the brunette was gradually come more fond of the nanny.

Christmas was briskly approaching. The rush to complete the festive season shopping was definitely under way as vast amounts of people packed the towns. Connie hadn't even finished hers, and she considered herself as organised, so she highly doubted that the daft and eccentric babysitter had completed hers either.

"It's okay, I can come if that's what Grace wants. I don't need to be anywhere else or having anything urgent to tend to." Isabelle responded placidly, a smile gracing her features as Grace squealed in excitement and continued to jump around, "Grace, why don't you go find your coat, hat, gloves and scarves?" She suggested and the girl dashed off in search of the garments.

Connie appreciated the nanny's help when she was absent but wasn't as particularly grateful for her presence when she wasn't busy at work or completing work related paperwork. She preferred to capitalise the time she could spend with her daughter and loathed anyone treading on her toes in her position as mother. Yet, it was so pleasant and heart warming to see the infectious grin that was plastered across the nine year olds contours.

"I would have thought you would be rushing off to finish some Christmas shopping or something as soon as I arrived home from my shift this morning." Connie started the conversation, curious as to why the babysitter was content to stay and loiter for the afternoon.

Izzy shrugged futilely, "I've bought all my presents, only had to get a few; Grace, you, and a couple of friends. That's all there is, I have no family." She replied simply as she slipped her own coat on, "Grace is such a sweetheart, it's no problem staying on if that's what she wants."

The brunette nodded in acknowledgement, "Oh...are you going to be alone for Christmas? And you really shouldn't get me anything - it's plenty enough that you can manage my daughter's behaviour, very few can." She inquired cautiously with some compassion laced into her tone, "I'll warn you in advance, though. She is very indecisive when it comes to choosing a Christmas tree."

The nanny chuckled light-heartedly at the second statement before nodding forlornly, "Yeah, I will be. It's no big deal."

A frown succumbed the clinical lead's features, "Why don't you come and spend Christmas with us? Only if you'd like to. No one should be alone at Christmas. We wouldn't mind, to be honest it can be rather quiet with just the two of us here."

"I would love that, thank you for the kind offer." Isabelle smiled gratefully, "That would be really lovely."

Connie returned the smile subtly, "It's no problem." She then diverted her attention to her daughter who had just leapt down the stairs and into the modern living room, "Are you ready, Gracie?"

"I've been waiting for ageeees! Of course I am." She beamed and scampered into the kitchen in search of her fluffy boots.

The trio drifted through the rows of fir trees that had been harvested and stacked with precision, tolerantly awaiting a family to buy them and bundle them home for the festive season. Grace was between the two adults, clutching their hands hyperactively and occasionally giggling as they swung her into the bitter air.

"What about this one?" Connie gestured to one of the pine trees, regretting having agreed earlier to allow her daughter to choose the Christmas tree. She was inspecting each individual tree closely before concluding she didn't want that one after all.

"No." Her reply came sharply as she shook her head and skipped off in search of another tree; she had certainly inherited her mothers cutting attitude at times.

Grace gazed up at her babysitter, rich chocolate orbs that were identical to her mother's wide, "Izzy, which tree do you think we should get?"

Isabelle shrugged, glancing at Connie momentarily as she brushed a lock of her red hair out of her face, "Well, these are all nice. But I usually prefer to go for a tree that no one wants. Like this one for example." She motioned to a tree that was virtually naked, most of the fern green needles had descended to the floor. "Then I like to over decorate it and make it look special. Because just imagine this poor, lonely tree here all alone on Christmas day because no one wanted it due to it's appearance."

The young girl thought fleetingly and then rotated her head to look up at her mother, "Mummy, can we have this one please?" She grinned sweetly.

"Uhh...there are much nicer trees available here then that one." The former heart surgeon didn't desire to upset her daughter but screwed her nose up slightly at the tatty fir tree. "How about something like this?" She proposed and pointed to another Christmas tree.

The nine year old shook her head firmly, "No, I want this one. Then we get to spend even more time decorating it." She wasn't very negotiable - another trait of Connie's. And she adored decking the tree with sparkly baubles, tinsel, and fairy lights. It was one of her favourite parts during the run to Christmas day itself.

"Okay," She exhaled an exasperated sigh and pursed her lips together, "I suppose we can have this one, but don't complain later." She muttered.

"Thank you, Mummy!" Grace beamed and enveloped her arms around the brunette before flashing a mischievous grin at Isabelle who simply laughed spiritedly in return.

They hauled the Christmas tree home and stationed it in it's typical location in the living room and set to work garnishing it in decorations. It was going to take a great deal of effort to make this tree look something special, Connie thought to herself. But Grave was happy, and that was the main thing.

They embellished the tree in a scattering of lights in diverse colours, added several baubles in a variety of colours and shapes, and attached trimmings of twinkling tinsel in bright greens, reds and golds. Connie elevated Grace into the air so she could complete the tree decoration process with the star on the very top.

Isabelle was right, this tree actually looked much better than any of tree she had bought in previous years.


	8. Candycanes

_**A/N: **Thanks for reading and reviewing. This is a bit of a random idea that probably doesn't really fit the title but still. This one is about the past pairing Tom/Sam :) hope you like it!_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>8. Candycanes<strong>

As Tom entered the house, the potent aroma of paint smothered his nostrils. The chemical fumes had transpired throughout the spacious house. It wasn't a scent he had anticipated greeting him the instant he entered the house, shutting the door behind him briskly to obstruct the bitter, wintry weather that had engulfed Holby abruptly.

"Sam, I'm home!" He called as he slipped his shoes off and shrugged his thick coat off, then abandoning it on the stair banister before he began to climb the stairs in search of his wife.

Locating Sam was effortless, he simply followed the soft sound of the radio that reverberated the upstairs ambience and discovered she was in the nursery they were still yet to complete. Propping himself against the door frame, he watched his wife in silence who hummed along faintly to the Christmas songs that were currently airing on the radio whilst armed with a paintbrush and applying the liquid substance to the walls.

He stifled a light hearted chuckle when he realised she was wearing one of his shirts - still too big for her even though she was thirty-one weeks pregnant and expecting twins. The material was splashed with dots of the white paint, and she also had a smudge on the tip of her nose which he found surprisingly cute.

"I thought we agreed that I would decorate the nursery." Tom disrupted the muted atmosphere and established his presence.

The female jerked with a start, pirouetting round sharply to face her husband and dipping her head slightly as she deposited the brush into the can and fiddled with her hands as a distraction, "I know, I know we did. But I was bored. Being at home all day on my own with nothing to do is no fun."

Her husband padded into the room and drifted towards her, "I know you hate just sitting around but you should be resting. It's bad enough that you are still refusing to take maternity leave yet. Your midwife said you need to start taking it easy now because they could come up to six weeks early."

"I know," Sam nodded, "But I was bored and wanted to do something productive. At least the painting is finished in here and as soon as it's dry we can bring in the furniture we've already constructed and arranged it."

Tom nodded and enveloped his arms around her, glancing round at the three walls she had painted with the delicate cream colour and then at the fourth wall he had recently wallpapered that had stripes; a feature wall. Candycanes.

_~\~\~\~\~_

_(3 weeks later...)_

Sam was still bluntly declining Tom's pleads for her to give in and take her maternity leave. Now thirty-four - nearly thirty-five - weeks pregnant, their twins could decide to make an appearance at any moment. She collected another patient file and shuffled off into the cubicle and exhaled a long sigh as she learnt the patient was a drunk male who required stitches in the side of his head. They were always so unpredictable.

She introduced herself as she pulled on a pair of rubber, sterile gloves and organised the equipment she needed, "Right, this might sting a little but try to keep still, please." She raised her arm to disinfect the wound with a soaked cotton pad, but the man didn't take too kindly, uncoordinatedly swiping his arm towards the doctor and colliding with her expanding bump.

Sam momentarily lost her equilibrium, faltering backwards. He may have been highly intoxicated but he still had strength. She peeled off her gloves and disposed them in the bin and then departed the cubicle, hands protectively around her swollen stomach, rubbing tentative circles.

Tom had perceived his wife exit the cubicle and promptly walked over to her as he saw her stroking her baby bump, "Is everything okay?"

She nodded slowly, "Yeah, I just took a little knock. We'll be fine. I think I might go sit down for a bit, though."

The male doctor ambled into the staffroom as soon as his break came, desiring to check on his pregnant wife. She was curled up on one of the material chairs, still massaging her stomach; she jumped faintly when the door opened and immediately tried to conceal her discomfort when she saw Tom.

"Are you still getting pains?" He inquired with a concerned expression, tone laced with compassion as he perched on the arm of the chair.

Sam paused for a moment, roughly running her tongue over her lips as she contemplated her response, "It's just braxton hicks."

Tom frowned, "How long have you had them?"

She shrugged, remaining silent.

"Sam..."

"I don't know - twenty four hours maybe." She shrugged again and dipped her head, apprehensive for his reply.

"I think we should go see your midwife." He announced and Sam reluctantly agreed, both of them regaining their balance and Tom wrapped his arm protectively around the younger woman, noticing the fear that bubbled in her rich orbs.

~\~\~\~\~

It had been confirmed that Sam had indeed been in the early stages of labour; a labour that was progressing rapidly. Within a couple of hours, the first wails of a tiny baby's lungs reverberated the atmosphere - along with Tom muttering that Sam had crushed the bones in his hand. It was a baby girl. The second cries of another baby soon followed and both of the newborns were placed onto Sam's chest.

"Well done, Sam! I'm so proud of you." Tom grinned and kissed her forehead as she gazed in awe at the little lives that had just arrived into the world. Their babies.

Whilst the twins and Sam were checked over, she had instructed him to go fund her some food and fresh water - she despised the water they provided in the jugs. It didn't taste as pure as she liked. Despite being premature, both babies were perfectly healthy except for being a little smaller than usual.

Tom entered the room again with some food and drink for Sam along with two balloons saying _'It's a boy!'_ and _'It's a girl!'_ as well as two mini teddy bears for the twins; a bear each clutching candycanes - one pink and white, the other blue and white - and wearing santa hats.

Sam chuckled as she spotted the teddy bears, diverting her attention from the twins briefly to acknowledge her husband, "They're so perfect, Tom."

"I know they are," He agreed and pecked his wife's lips, "I'm so proud of you." He then placed a bear next to each newborn that was wearing a matching baby-grow to the candycane the bear grasped as Sam shook her head spiritedly, "What? They are Christmasy babies. There will only be a few kids with these bears!"

She laughed mildly, "I wasn't saying anything." She shrugged futilely as she opened the chilled bottle of the water and ingested a mouthful, "They need names. How about you name the girl and I name the boy?"

Tom nodded and they both basked the hushed ambience contently.

"What about Holly Samantha Kent?" Tom suggested, gradually extending his arm to stroke his daughter's silky cheek tenderly.

Sam grimaced at the mention of her full name, loathing ever being addressed by it but nodded. Holly Samantha Kent sounded better than Holly Sam Kent to her personally, "Yeah, I like it...I was thinking Michael Tom Kent for him?"

He nodded, "I love it. Welcome to the world little ones."


	9. Tradition

_**A/N: **Again, thank you for reading and reviewing. This is another random idea, inspired by something I saw on TV a couple of nights ago. This one is about Connie/Rita. Hope you enjoy it. :D_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong> 9. Tradition<strong>

"Rita, where are we going?" Connie demanded for the fifth time that morning with a hint of irritability in her tone, she was persistent and her curiosity was increasing as to where their journey was going to take them. "Aargh, Rita!" She hissed at the blonde hit another bump in the twisty road resulting in her missing her eyelashes with the mascara wand and leaving a streak of the black substance across her cheek.

"Sorry-" The nurse casted a short glance at her fiancée, "I told you earlier not to bother with make-up, it'll only be a waste!" She fixated her orbs back on the road as she suppressed a faintly wicked laugh, cranking the vehicle into a lower gear, "And for the last time, I'm not telling you where we are going." Their destination was a secret, but it was humorous tormenting her partner.

Connie wiped the mascara from her cheek and began dabbing the skin with foundation, "You know that I won't go out anywhere in public without make-up." She stated bluntly as she blended the fresh application of foundation in with the rest, "I am so glad you are driving your own car and not mine with all the holes you seem to be finding and gear - or lack of correct - gear changing." She muttered and precariously stroked her lashes with the brush, "How much longer before we get there?"

"I don't even know why you bother with foundation, your skin is naturally unblemished and has a nice glow to it." Rita rolled her eyes and peered at digital clock, "We'll be there soon." She then shot an ominous glare at the former heart surgeon, "Don't criticise my driving, it your fault anyway."

"My fault? How do you work that out? I didn't teach you to drive." The brunette puckered her perfectly arced eyebrow, impatiently awaiting an explanation before pouting momentarily, "I have freckles. Unfortunately I was unlucky enough to inherit them." She muttered as she applied a coat of glossy pink lipstick to her lips.

"Your freckles are cute, though." Rita argued, she adored the tiny freckles that speckled her lover's cheeks and nose, "And it's your fault because you always insist that we take your car and you drive, so it's been so long since I've last driven that I may or may not have forgotten how." She replied matter-of-factly.

The clinical lead rolled her chocolate orbs dramatically, "Whatever." She murmured and dismissed the blonde's last sentence as she dropped her make-up components back into her leather handbag, "Did you just call me cute?" She scoffed, uninspired by the adjective.

"Yes." The aspiring nurse nodded as she pulled into a gravel car park and halted the vehicle, "We're here." She grinned and allowed the subtle roar of the engine to fade into silence.

A frown succumbed Connie's features, "The beach? Are you mad, Rita? It's the middle of December and you've bought us all this way to a bloody beach?" She wasn't impressed, nor the slightest bit content that this was the destination of their lengthy travel. She hated the beach. Especially sandy beaches - just like this one.

Rita simply smiled sweetly, "You'll see why we are here. The seaside is the seaside any day of the year!" She opened the door and emerged from the car into the fresh - yet blustery - atmosphere, inhaling the salty air deeply.

Exhaling a moody sigh, the brunette stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door shut, her expensive heels crunching against the loose gravel. Her dark, wild curls danced in the wispy wind and she reluctantly followed her partner down the slippery steps and onto the sand.

"It's just beautiful, isn't it?" The nurse gazed in awe at the ripples of waves breaking onto the shore with gushes and then retreating back into the ocean. She had always found watching waves relaxing. They crashed against the cliff face, igniting mini explosions in the cracks and crevasses of the rock, creating all the shadows and arcs over millions of years via the process of erosion.

The older female nodded faintly, "Mmm, it is rather. But it's freezing." She wrapped her material coat around herself more, tails of her scarf blowing in the breeze. She cursed lightly as she realised the moist sand had fused itself to her suede Louboutins. They were ruined. Her favourite pair. "Why did you want to come here today then?" She inquired inquisitively, scanning her orbs around the beach that was vacant excluding the odd squawking seagull.

Rita smiled subtly, interlacing hands with Connie, "Well, a family tradition of mine is that every December before Christmas day we take a trip to the seaside and then take a dip in the water...we've done it for every year that I can remember, been a tradition in the family for generations." She enlightened her with a faint apprehension.

The brunette grimaced and shuddered at the thought, the sea water would certainly be glacially cold at this time of year, "I was always sure you were part crazy." She stifled a mild, spirited laugh and studied her fiancée, "And I'm very grateful that I'm not a Freeman." She added as she propped herself against a rock, chilling smugly.

"But you will be a Freeman one day when we get married." Rita was treading with caution, yet amused by her boss's conceited atmosphere. She figured that Connie thought she was safe and had the talent to out smart her lover to escape taking the icy plunge.

The clinical lead rotated her head sharply and simultaneously raised her eyebrows at the blonde, "Who said I was taking your surname when we get married? What if I think you should take mine." She interrogated, crossing her arms with assertion.

She spiralled her eyes again, "I didn't say that you were. But regardless to whether I take your surname, you take mine, or we have both, you will still be part of the Freeman family and therefore will have to participate." She smirked.

Connie grumbled quietly, "But I'm not married to you yet...so I can give this year a miss at least."

"It'll be good practice!"

"Practice?!" An eruption of amused giggles floated from the brunette's lips, "Like I need practice at that." She scoffed, "It is hardly that difficult to know how to run into the water...although I'm positive that you are part mad."

"I didn't come up with the tradition," Rita laughed and held her hands up in defence, "But I wouldn't be me if I wasn't part bonkers, and I know you love me for it." She grinned, "Now, come on, don't be such a spoil sport."

Connie pursed her lips momentarily, "I can't. You have already wrecked my favourite pair of Louboutins by bringing me here. I'm not going to let you risk ruining my expensive clothes too. Plus, if I stay in wet clothes then there is a high risk I could develop hyperthermia and then who would manage my department?" She was so winning this argument. Or at least she comprehended that she was until her partner's response came.

"I'm one step ahead of you - for once in life." She giggled with a snort that made the brunette chuckle and shake her head, "In the boot of the car are a dry set of clothes for us each and a towel. And before you complain about having nowhere to change, look over there." She gestured in the direction of two buildings that contained blocks of restrooms.

Connie groaned, she was rapidly running out of excuses, "The salt in the water will be bad for my hair!" She exclaimed, raking her elegant - numb - fingers through her precious locks and watched her lover suspiciously.

"Prove it!" Before the brunette even had the opportunity to protest and object, Rita had whipped her off her feet and was dashing down the beach to the tide with the leading consultant squealing - a high pitched and extremely girly squeal - and wriggling to be put down. The nurse lowered her back to her feet carefully but kept a tight grasp on Connie so she couldn't run away as her fiancée screeched in terror as the crisp water touched her toes. The blonde then pushed her into the sea, the former heart surgeon shrieking as the wintry waves immersed her. Rita didn't get chance to sprint off, Connie had scrambled to her feet and tugged her partner into the water with her who screamed expletives, "You are so going to regret that later." She was out of breath, voice raspy, the initial shock of the bitter water had absorbed her breath.


	10. Mistletoe

_**A/N: **__Thanks for the reviews :) I'm not overly keen on this one but was in a rush when I wrote this and stuck for ideas, and don't really have time to rewrite it again if I want to post everyday. Main characters included are Connie, Cal, Ethan and Lily - sort of Connie/Cal and Ethan/Lily pairings. :3_

_The next one shot is called 'Wrapping Paper' and it's about Zoe/Max!_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>10. Mistletoe<strong>

It was the emergency department's annual Christmas party. They had all assembled into a designated pub that had been garnished with oceans of festive decorations. The atmosphere was buzzing; alive. Drinks were flowing rapidly. And the staff had clustered into their separate groups, chattering and cordially enjoying the night. Zoe was flirting with Max, mixed in the crowd of nurses and paramedics. Lily and Ethan were nearby. Connie loitered with some of the more superior members of the hospital team, along with some of her special guests including Andrea, Jac, Elliot, Nick Jordan and Michael Spencer.

Caleb had had a few to drink - probably a couple too many - and he was fixated on his ambition; kissing Connie Beauchamp tonight. The festive season was now fully under way, and with it accompanied mistletoe. This was the perfect opportunity for him to finally use his seductive charm to convert his boss to having mutual feelings. Because she wasn't going to be able to escape the tradition of kissing under mistletoe, no matter how knowledgable and tactful she was.

There was just one technical issue. A minor problem. He didn't actually have any mistletoe.

But he could improvise with the next best thing. He just hoped that everyone had had enough alcohol to make them at least tipsy so that they wouldn't be able to notice the difference. Before he tested it on the clinical lead, he concluded that it would be sensible to experiment on someone else first. His brother was the perfect choice.

Equipped with his fake mistletoe, Dr Knight approached his brother who was chatting to Lily, he suspected it was work related as they were forever exchanging information they had personally acquired so that their medical philosophy was the best it could possibly be.

"Haven't you got anything better to do? Someone else to annoy other than me?" Ethan casted an ominous glare at his brother, slightly aggravated at being interrupted by him repeatedly.

The other male shrugged and disregarded the trivial questions, "Haven't you noticed what you are stood under?"

Lily immediately tilted her head and glanced up, rightfully suspicious following Cal's question. She didn't trust the jokester of a doctor in the slightest. She frowned disapprovingly, "Cabbage. We are standing beneath cabbage." She stated bluntly and puckered her perfectly arced brow.

"It's not cabbage!" He was rather insulted that Dr Chao was in fact a lot soberer than he had anticipated, "It's mistletoe!" He insisted assertively.

"It's cabbage. I'm not stupid. You are holding two cabbage leaves." Lily detailed patronisingly, narrowing her piercing gaze at her fellow colleague, "We are not going to kiss under cabbage leaves, so you might as well go find someone else to try your pathetic games with."

Caleb grumbled, muttering under his breath and walked away in a huff, leaving his nerdy brother and Lily to resume their conversation. He grasped another bottle of beer from the bar and then departed the pub, off in search for some real mistletoe. He was determined that he was going to get a kiss off Connie before the night ended.

"Well, that was a lucky escape." Lily mumbled, only audible to Ethan as she sipped at her white wine. He nodded in agreement.

The doctor returned with some honest mistletoe shortly after and ambled towards the bar, approaching where the former heart surgeon was standing, propped against the bar whilst she waited to be served for another glass of exquisite red wine.

Acquiring her beverage and depositing the correct amount of coins on the counter, she sharply pirouetted around in her designer stilettos, muttering as she nearly walked straight into Caleb, the crimson liquid swishing dangerously in her glass, a couple of droplets escaping and splashing out. She lifted her head, ready to snap, to identify the male and her orbs followed his arm when she realised it was held above his head.

Connie scowled hostilely, stifling a bitter laugh, "Oh, please. You have to be joking." Her manner corresponded with her posture; lament with resentment and irritation. She rolled her rich chocolate orbs dramatically, scoffing loudly as she learnt that this was certainly no joke.

"I'm not." He was deadly serious, "We are standing under mistletoe, so you know what that means..." Internally he was bubbling with exhilaration, moments away from completing his desire for the evening, but only a faint smirk - smug - refined his lips, dancing wildly.

"But you are holding the mistletoe. It hardly counts." Ridiculed, she was scrutinising desperately for the most petite argument she could produce in attempt to evade this kiss.

"It does count." Cal argued sincerely, "It doesn't matter whether someone is holding it or not. We're still stood under it so therefore have to kiss.' He smirked, stepping closer to the brunette.

The clinical lead sighed irritably; disdainfully. She placed her wine glass on the bar with more force than was necessary and folded her arms firmly across her chest, glaring scornfully, "Well, if you insist." She briefly scanned her near surroundings, desiring for nobody to be watching this humiliating moment.

Their lips collided hesitantly, brushing tenderly against each other. Connie could taste the flavour of beer; it was bitterly foul. She loathed beer, and Caleb had definitely had a fair few pints. He was the inverse, the tingling spice of wine lingered on her lipsticked lips and he adored the zest - almost as much as he fancied the female.

Connie was incredibly grateful when the kissed ended, instantly stepping back and clasping her elegant fingers around the delicate stem of the wine glass, swallowing a mouthful to disguise the tang of beer - almost all the glass. She raked her fingers through her thick, curled locks and straightened her blouse.

"So, can I get you another drink?" Dr Knight's tone was casual, cool. Sweet and smooth. He was hopeful. Now even more in love with the sophisticated woman of his dreams.

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine - thank you. I best get back to my guests. Enjoy the rest of your night, Caleb." She was professional and rather cold, strutting off into the cluster of people.


	11. Wrapping Paper

_**A/N: **2 weeks until Christmas! This one is Zoe/Max. Hope you like it. X_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent <span>

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><p><strong>11. Wrapping Paper<strong>

Encircled with rolls of new Christmas wrapping paper, presents, ribbon, and gift tags, Max exhaled a sigh of disconsolate as he stared vacantly at the items, and then at the little terrier dog - Bow - perched on the carpet, watching his owner intently. "So, Bow, any ideas on how to wrap presents?" The Jack Russell puppy simply tilted her head to one side, perplexed, before leaping onto the male excitedly and licking his face with her rough tongue.

Zoe had gone out shopping for a new pair of designer shoes to match her attire that she desired to wear to a family party they had been invited to, much to Max's aversion. He claimed that she had more than enough heels but she had disagreed. _Girls can never have too many shoes._ Prior to her departure, she had instructed the porter to gift wrap and label the presents that they were taking with them since he had complained he was bored.

"Bow! Stop!" The porter battled with the peppy dog until she finally jumped off him, "Just sit there...yes, right there. Good girl, now stay..."

Max grasped his hands around the gift that appeared to be the most simplest shape to wrap; packets of dog treats. Rolling out some of the festive paper, he tore the paper and left a tattered edge and then began folding the paper of the treats in all directions and adding a load of sticky tape to keep it in place.

_Perhaps this wasn't going to be as hard as he thought._

He swiftly shifted his way through the collection of presents, solely coating the object in a thick layer of seasonal paper. The wrapping was soon completed when his mobile phone bleeped with the text tone indicating a message had just come through.

_'I hope the present wrapping is going well, and that they're all as neat as they would be if I was wrapping them. ;) Xxx'_

Max peered at his phone when the screen glowed softly, a grin gracing his feature when he learnt that it was his girlfriend. His lips soon descended into a negative curve rapidly when he read the content of the message, slowly rotating his head round to the stack of wrapped gifts. They were not neat and tidy. At all. And he had given up with the ribbon to create a nice decoration finish to the presents, failing to realise he had to score the silk with the scissors in order to obtain the curl.

But more to his horror was the vast pile of scrunched up wrapping paper, and the trail of chewed up pieces. The dog had virtually unwrapped the majority of his hard work.A couple of the items had vanished as well. And so had Bow. He vaulted to his feet and went in a prompt search for Zoe's darling, little puppy. "Bow!"

Locating the Jack Russell was relatively simple, he could hear her growling and just followed the noise. She was in the kitchen, curled up in her basket with the dog biscuits and some more wrapping paper.

The porter snatched the treats from the terrier, "You are going to get me in so much trouble." He muttered as he deposited them into the puppy's cupboard where the rest of her food was stored and accumulated. "Just stay there whilst I finished the wrapping so you can't make anymore mess or destroy anything else." He stated bluntly before dashing back into the living room and plunging to the floor where he started rewrapping everything again; this time attempting to make it more elegant and smart. And he googled the proper use for the ribbon and accurate application.

Once he had finished and disposed over the crumpled and spoiled wrapping paper, he wondered back into the kitchen equipped with a plastic bag containing a festive attire for pets. "Come on, Bow. Let's get you ready for Mummy's surprise when she arrives home."

The former clinical lead entered the house, allowing a sharp whirl of bitter wind through the door with her, "Max, I'm home!" She called cheerfully, slipping her shoes off and abandoning her coat on the stair banister.

Max drifted into the hall and over to the brunette, brushing his lips against hers momentarily, "Did you find some shoes?"

"Yes."

"That's good. Everything has been totally uneventful and straightforward in your absence." He smiled subtly, scanning the living room again slyly as a precaution.

"Why's Bow dressed in a dog Santa costume?" A faint frown refined Zoe's previously serene features as she perceived her puppy gazing up at her whilst wagging her tail as she ambled through the hallway and into the kitchen.

"It's a Mrs Santa Claus outfit." The porter corrected his lover, "Well, she is coming with us to this family party and I didn't want her to feel left out. Don't you think she looks cute?" He scooped the terrier into his arms as she barked contently.

Zoe nodded, "Yeah, but she was cute before...I'm surprised she even let you put that little coat on her, anyway. And that daft hat." She laughed spiritedly and padded into the lounge to check her boyfriend's wrapping skills with her latest shoe investment.

"You should just be thankful that I didn't dress the cat up as an elf or a mobile Christmas tree!" He smirked as he followed with Bow, hoping he had concealed his disasters successfully.

The doctor puckered her perfectly arced eyebrow, "You were not seriously even considering it were you? That poor cat is traumatised enough since your arrival." She shook her head disapprovingly and stroked the dog's silky fur.

Max pouted, "It's not my fault he fell in the bath is it?" He was still determined that he was not responsible for that mishap.

"Really? Well who's fault was it then?" Zoe wasn't convinced.

He shrugged futilely, "Not mine."

She rolled her rich chocolate orbs dramatically and then diverted her gaze to the stack of gifts and then the rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon, "Max, how much wrapping paper did you think you needed to use? Three rolls is a bit over the top - way over the top, in fact!"

"That wasn't my fault either." Max defended himself instantly, "As I wrapped them, Bow decided to unwrap them."

"You should have known better than to even attempt wrapping with Bow present, especially since there was food amongst it." Zoe shook her head and laughed mildly.


	12. Elf

_**A/N: **This one isn't brilliant, my idea didn't quite work as I had hoped! It's Cal/Ethan. And is rather random. It should probably be called Santa but I had another idea for Santa that simply wouldn't fit Cal/Ethan quite like this. Thanks for the reviews!_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>12. Elf<strong>

"Why did you think it was a good idea to try and climb up onto the roof, anyway?" Ethan was perplexed by his brother's stupidity in climbing out of the highest window in the building, then attempting to climb up the plastic drain pipe until it had snapped and he had been left suspended, clutching onto the concrete window ledge with the tips of his fingers.

Dr Knight shrugged, "I don't know, it's what the kids wanted. It's your fault, anyway." He muttered, grimacing as his brother removed another piece of gravel skilfully from the wound on the side of his head.

"My fault? You are the one who decided to climb on the roof, or try to." The male doctor retorted as he disinfected the wound again with a soaked pad.

"Ethan, I'm fine. There is really no need for this." He swatted his brother's hands away from the laceration, "And it was you who wanted me to step in as Santa. If I hadn't, then non of this would have happened!"

Dr Hardy rolled his eyes, "But I didn't tell you to climb on the roof! Despite what you may like to think, you are not spiderman. Didn't you think of the risks? What if you had fallen? It's just as well the building was surrounded by scaffolding so I was able to climb up and rescue him. Your injuries could have been much more severe. And what if I hadn't of made it up the scaffolding in time?" He asked bluntly, "It needs cleaning and the foreign objects removing and then stitches."

"Well at the time, no. But now I obviously can see my stupidity. But it's all alight, because you saved the day Elf-y." Caleb wasn't in the mood for a lecture about his absurdity. Nobody was significantly injured, that was the main thing. "I can sort the wound out myself."

"No." Ethan's tone was assertive, "Let me. If it's not done properly then you will most likely get an infection. You treated me when I was involved in the crash, now let me treat you." He stated sincerely and continued to cleanse the cut.

_'"Come on, Cal. Remember all those favours I've done for you in the past? The least you could do is help me out for once with my request. I mean, it isn't like you have anything better to do." Ethan exhaled an exasperated sigh, frustrated by his brother's lack of cooperation._

_Caleb shrugged futilely, thoroughly enjoying aggravating the intelligent doctor, "But your request is completely different to any of mine. You are asking me to dress up as Santa for a bunch of hyperactive kids."_

_Ethan peered at his watch knowing he was briskly running out of time. Caleb really was his last chance if he wasn't to disappoint. "I wouldn't be asking you if I wasn't desperate. It's not my fault the other Santa has fallen ill and dropped out. We need a replacement Santa, right now."_

_"Why can't you dress up as Santa?" Dr Knight suggested with a cunning smirk, thinking that he was actually tactful enough to escape the stupid and humiliating favour._

_"Because I'm an elf." He stated bluntly, eyes fixated on his brother._

_"So? Them kids aren't going to care if there is one less elf providing they get to see Santa."_

_"You'd make a much better Santa than me, though." Ethan comprehended that his brother was simply attempting to agitate him by refusing to comply - and it was working. He was falling for Cal's irritating behaviour, again._

_"How?" Caleb tilted his head to one side, suddenly curious into the reasons why he would make a better Santa._

_"Well, I can't exactly be Santa can I? The reason I'm an elf is because I'm small...it isn't going to be very realistic if Santa's the same size as his elves is it?!" Dr Hardy responded matter-of-factly; he had always been the smarter and wiser one of the siblings._

_He had a point; a very good point. "Fine, but you so owe me. Big time." Cal reluctantly agreed and trailed after his brother out of the ED and to the location where his costume awaited him and an accumulating crowd of excited children with their parents._

_Caleb was encircled by energetic children who had all had their photos taken with Santa and received their individual gifts. The replacement Santa thought that his good deed was over, but the kids were reluctant to leave the grotto. They were bubbling with inquisitive questions._

_"How do you get on the roof so you can go down the chimney with our presents?" One little boy asked, gazing up at the man dressed in red in amazement._

_"With my magical reindeers, they pull my sleigh through the sky and land on each roof. Then I hop off, pop down the chimney with your presents, enjoy the mince pies you leave and then return to my sleigh with the carrots for Rudolph." Dr Knight enlightened the children, hoping to cure their curiosity._

_"Show us." They chorused simultaneously, all in sync._

_Cal shot a quick glance at his brother, quite clearly desiring for some intelligent help to answer their prying inquiries. Ethan - dressed as an elf - stepped forward, descending to the child's level, "The reindeers are only magical on the night of Christmas Eve. It takes them a whole year to gather that magic from a special potion they get fed so they have enough magic to deliver everyones presents."_

_"Can't Santa drink some of the potion?" The boy replied, full of hope to see Father Christmas on the roof._

_"Please Santa." They all pleaded and cheered as Caleb reluctantly nodded, disappearing out of the grotto, promptly followed by one of his elves; Ethan._

_"What are you planning to do?" Dr Hardy demanded to be enlightened into his brother's plan following him agreeing to go on the roof._

_"Relax, bro. I've got this one." He smiled smugly as he entered the nearby building and began racing up the several flights of stairs.'_


	13. Bells

_**A/N: **Thanks for reading and reviewing. This one is about Connie/Sam (Grace's father). Connie is clinical lead and pregnant with Grace and Sam is still around. I think I was too young to really remember Holby/Casualty when they were originally together and Grace was born, and I have no idea if Sam's character is right or not but I hope you like it! :3_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent <span>

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><p><strong>13. Bells<strong>

The delicate silky fabric clutched her swollen stomach - emphasising her substantial baby bump - and flowed down to the floor into an elegant train, lace sleeves concealing her arms. Tiny hints of detail adorned the train of the attire in a dark purple colour. Her swollen feet were squeezed into a pair of white satin heels despite comprehending that by the end of this long day her feet and ankles would be in agony.

Her galaxy of thick, chestnut-brown locks had been curled into luscious loose ringlets, tumbling down her back like an ocean of belgium chocolate, not a strand out of place. Her dainty eyelashes had been coated with two generous layers of her finest jet black mascara, cheekbones highlighted with a subtle dusting of bronzer and blusher. The female's lips shimmered in a shade of glossy, pastel pink.

It was Connie Beauchamp's wedding day.

She was marrying her baby's father; Sam Strachan. The wedding had been a rush, the clinical lead hadn't had the opportunity she wanted nor would have liked and appreciated to properly plan her wedding day. This day was supposed to be the best day of her life. Her baby was due in a matter of weeks. But the instant Sam's mother, Audrey, had been informed about the news that she was going to be a grandmother, she had abruptly insisted that they were married before the baby arrived. A traditionalist.

An infectious grin graced her features, the pre-wed nerves fluttered from her frame promptly as she entered the church and observed the clatter of feet as they rose to their feet upon her arrival. And there was Sam, her husband to be, standing at the front of the alter, peering sneakily behind him to capture a glimpse of his fiancée.

Sam's smile was as equally contagious as his wife's to be, "You look stunning." He murmured into her ear as she halted at the front beside him.

Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink at the compliment, "Shut up." She muttered, loathing the unpreventable changed to her body that accompanied pregnancy.

They exchanged their vows, sliding the white gold edged with golden gold rings onto one another's designated finger and then kissed passionately when declared husband and wife. Holding hands, they ambled up the alter whilst their family and friends scattered petals of confetti over the newly wed couple as the bells chimed to mark the marriage.

Connie froze to the spot, her arm flowing with Sam's as he continued to walk before pausing as he felt the tension between their interlaced hands and swivelled to face is new wife. "Con, are you okay?" He frowned with concern as he witnessed her grimace, rubbing her bump tentatively and refuse to move.

"Do I look okay?" The former heart surgeon muttered, "The baby's coming!"

"What? She can't be! It's too early."

"Well it's your fault she's early." She hissed with a hint of spite as she inhaled deep breaths to help calm her erratic breathing; a technique she was knowledgable of from her career in medical treatment.

"Why's it my fault that you've gone into premature labour?!"

"Because it's your mother that has been stressing me out for the last god knows how many months! Wanting us to be married before the baby arrives. Complaining about my dress and why I couldn't wear something a little more loose; I prefer to look pregnant than allow people to assume that I'm just fat! Especially on my wedding day! She complained about my choice of hairstyle. Isn't it any wonder that I've gone into labour?!" The brunette growled petulantly, teeth clenched together at the frequent, sharp contractions.

"Okay, you two can save this discussion of who's fault it is later. But right now we should be trying to keep Connie as calm as possible." Tess intervened between the married couple after quietly asking everyone else to leave the church, "Connie, deep breaths, okay? Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth." The nurse slowed her own breathing for the clinical lead to follow. "An ambulance is on it's way."

Connie grimaced again, "I don't think she's going to wait that long." She confessed bitterly as she focused on controlling her breathing and techniques to help cope with the agonising pain repeatedly flooding her body. Before now, she had never really sympathised with any of the women she had been midwife to in emergencies, maintaining her cutting manner. But it was true what she had heard; child birth was torture. She would definitely offer more compassion in future.

"Come on, Connie. Just sit down and concentration on your breathing, and let me check you." Tess was calm, words laced with a hint of authority as the leading consultant reluctantly did as she was asked - probably for the first time in her entire career.

The brunette glared at Sam who was pacing frantically up and down the isle, "If you are not going to be of any use than you can go outside." She was irritable, more exasperated than anyone could have anticipated. It was becoming increasingly evident that she didn't deal with pain well.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" He was more jittery than his wife, unprepared for the whole event of labour. And the detail that the baby was premature wasn't helping matters, "What if something's wrong? Con's not due yet."

"Kneel down next to her and hold her hand and just encourage her." Tess stated, "And relax, the baby's not that premature so he or she should be absolutely fine, the baby should be fully developed by now." She reassured and diverted her attention back to the female, "You're doing really well, Connie. Now on your next contraction, I want you to push."

The church bells rung for the second time that day as the wails from a pair of tiny lungs reverberated the atmosphere; cries so loud that it was hard to believe that the baby's lungs were so small.

Tess wrapped the baby - a little girl - in a fluffy blanket and placed her on Connie's chest, the mother instantly stroking her daughter's delicate cheek tenderly, "Grace...she's perfect." She whispered as teardrops pooled in her eyes, forming a glassy film over her pupils. Her and Sam had already decided on the name Grace when they had found at they were having a baby girl.


	14. Hot Chocolate

_**A/N: **Thank you for reading and reviewing! Sorry that I didn't post a one-shot yesterday but I've posted all my pre-written chapters and have only just had the chance to finish this. Can't guarantee if I will update everyday from now as I'm busy and don't have much time to write but I'll try. This one is Connie/Rita, sorry it's so short. X_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p>Wintry Advent<p>

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><p><strong>14. Hot Chocolate<strong>

Rita sleepily shuffled into the kitchen whilst rubbing her eyes and scuffing her fluffy slippers against the polished wood floor, following the rich scent of chocolate and propping herself against the kitchen counter lazily, focusing her attention on her partner who was making a mug of hot chocolate. "What are you doing?"

The brunette jumped with a start, pirouetting sharply on her toes to perceive the nurse who had mutedly appeared in the kitchen alongside her, "Making hot chocolate." She stated sincerely, "I thought you were asleep?" She inquired as she diverted her concentration back to her mug, stirring the piled teaspoons of cocoa powder into the boiled water.

"I was." She clarified with a petite nod, "But I got woken up by the smell of chocolate. Because you know just how much I love chocolate, whatever the form." A microscopic smirk graced her lips as she stuffed her hands into the pocket of her oversized hoodie after raking them through her tousled hair.

The clinical lead rolled her dark orbs dramatically, "Yes, we all know how much you love chocolate. You even named your - our - poor cat Chocolate." She still disapproved and loathed the name for the tabby feline they had adopted some months ago, considering it not to be a proper name nor all that practical.

"Chocolate Caramel, actually." The blonde corrected conceitedly, reminiscing how she had originally named the kitten Chocolate and then added Caramel to the name because of her streaks of mid-tone and lighter browns that swirled through her coat that purely reminded her of melting chocolate and caramel together in a pan over the stove.

"Whatever," Connie muttered as she pursed her lips together momentarily, her eyelids slowing opening and closing, "Do you want a hot chocolate?"

The aspiring nurse nodded, an adequate response, and watched observantly before her dazzling blue eyes expanded in abhorrence, eyebrows almost vanishing into her hair as they shot upwards promptly, "What are you doing?!" She exclaimed in repulsion, "That is not how you make hot chocolate. Not properly. No. No. And no."

A perplexed frown refined the former heart surgeon's features, "What do you mean?" She endeavoured; demanding to know exactly what she was doing incorrectly - she had added three heaped teaspoons of their finest cocoa powders into a mug, added boiling water and was mixing it together.

"That is not the right way to make hot chocolate." She repeated and drifted past Connie, "This is the correct way to make hot chocolate, watch and learn." She instructed whilst opening the cupboard that contained the pots and pans, then positioning a small saucepan on the hob and turned on the heat. She poured an adequate amount of semi-skimmed milk into the pan and stirred a spoon around as the white liquid heated gently. When she was satisfied that the milk was nearly warm enough she added some Cadbury's hot chocolate and whisked it into the milk.

With precision, she used a soup ladle to pour the chocolatey beverage into two mugs, swatting her lover's hand away when she attempted to pinch a mug, "It's not ready yet!" She acquired the bottle of squirty cream from the fridge and began whipping it around the top of the drinks, then dropping a generous quantity of jumbo marshmallows on top and sprinkled chocolate flakes, "That is how you make a hot chocolate."

The brunette observed the hot drink, "My method is so much quicker, and simpler." She argued as she lifted the mug into her hands, inhaling the rich and sweet aroma.

"You can put the milk in a mug and put it in the microwave to heat the milk instead, that's quicker." Rita smiled smugly as she ingested a sip, the tip of her nose becoming coated with a blob of cream which caused the leading consultant to giggle helplessly, wiping the smudge of whipped cream from her nose.

"It's good, I guess." She was trying not to sound too enthusiastic at her girlfriend's creation, loathing to admit that Rita's hot chocolate was tasty than her own, capturing that rustic, chocolatey flavour better.

"Just good?!" The blonde's orbs widened in horror again, mirrored in her tone, "Come on, it's better than good." She scoffed, almost offended by the compliment.

"Very good." Connie corrected herself bluntly and deposited the mug on the counter, poking at the cream with a spoon as the hot liquid gradually melted it.

"Just admit it, it's better than yours. It's a proper hot chocolate."

Reluctantly, through gritted teeth, Connie confessed and agreed with a nod, "Fine. Yes, it is." She huffed and stubbornly folded her arms across her chest.

Rita beamed a massive grin, "Yes! I knew it!"


	15. Merry Christmas

_**A/N: **Thanks for reading and reviewing. This one was a request and the pairing is Tess/Fletch. I am absolutely hopeless at writing this pairing and was struggling for ideas, so I apologise in advance! But I hope there are some people out there who like it! X_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent <span>

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><p><strong>15. Merry Christmas<strong>

The knock at the door came as a surprise to Tess, causing her to jerk with a start from where she was curled up beneath a blanket on the sofa with a mug of steamy hot chocolate whilst watching the festive programmes that aired on Christmas day. She regained her equilibrium swiftly and deposited her cup of hot cocoa on a coaster on the pine table and ambled to answer the door, "Fletch?"

"Merry Christmas." He beamed, equipped with a petite festive bag of presents and a bouquet of fresh flowers in bold shades.

"You too." The head nurse replied sincerely yet perplexed at the nurse's presence at her home, "What are you doing here?" She wrapped her fluffy cardigan around herself tightly, shuddering as the wispy breeze from outside whirled around her.

Fletch shrugged faintly, "I came to see you." He stated matter-of-factly.

She shook her head disapprovingly, "Fletch, you shouldn't be here. Not today." The brunette exhaled a long, forlorn sigh, "Although I do appreciate you coming, obviously. And your kind gestures. But it's Christmas, you should be with your family, not me."

"And nobody deserves to be alone at Christmas, either." The male nurse disagreed as he entered the house, shutting the door behind him to savour the heat that had rapidly been departing the structure, "We have a house full at home, I'm not going to be missed excessively." He shrugged futilely.

"Your kids, though..."

"Are too busy playing with their new toys to notice I've gone." Fletch reassured and dropped the bag of presents onto the floor in the living room.

Tess nodded as she processed the situation, "And where does Natalie think you are?" She inquired curiously, desiring to know all the details.

"At work. She thinks I got called in because the ED ended up really short staffed and there was a surge of casualties." He shrugged and drifted towards the head nurse, gently brushing his lips tenderly against her lightly glossed ones.

The brunette shook her head, again, "This isn't right, you shouldn't be here." She murmured before she found herself lost in the emotive pass, returning hid kiss passionately, helplessly unable to stop herself.

"I know you can't look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me, so therefore it is right." His words tingled in her eardrums as she loathed admitting that he was in fact correct; spot on with his conclusions.

"I do love you," Tess sighed, "Have you eaten? My Christmas dinner is nearly ready. There's enough if you want some as well - Charlie was coming round but unlike your excuses, he has genuinely been called into the hospital because they were a senior nurse short." She explain concisely as she padded through into her small kitchen followed by Fletch.

"I have had something but I will never say no to another Christmas dinner! Not every man is lucky enough to be given two in one day!" The male grinned cheekily, propping himself against the counter.

Tess stifled a laugh at the typical masculine response she had received, "Would you like a glass of mulled wine whilst you wait? Or perhaps a beer." Beer wasn't a beverage she was fond of but in preparation for Charlie's presence she had stocked up on a couple of packs of cans.

"A beer would be great, thanks."

Together, they enjoyed the festive food that Tess had cooked and savoured each others cherished company as they chattered and laughed at each other remarks - perhaps driven from the alcohol they had consumed.

They returned into the living room with their alcoholic beverages, unable to eat another single thing as they were crammed full of the delicious foods. Flopping onto the sofa, Fletch picked up the bag containing presents that he had bought with him and insisted that Tess opened them.

Neatly, the head nurse tore the wrapping paper on the first gift, gasping as she revealed a large bottle of Chanel No. 5, her favourite perfume, "Oh, Fletch. You know you didn't have to spend that much! This perfume is so expensive. But thank you." She pecked his cheek and then proceeded to open the other presents which included a fluffy jumper, dressing gown and slippers; Fletch comprehended how his lover always felt the bitter cold of winter.

Tess opened the last present which was small and cube shaped. It was a ring; a promise ring. The ring was white cold with a large amethyst - her favourite gem - and was engraved with the words 'I promise I will always love you.'

She slipped the ring onto her finger - a perfect fit - and tossed her arms around the male and pressed her lips against his again, "It's beautiful, thank you so much."


	16. Snowman

_**A/N: **Thank you to those who have read and reviewed? If you have time, I'd love to know what you think :3 this idea came from the OTP prompts tumblr, and is rather random. I copied and pasted the lyrics from google, so I hope they're right! (But changed the 'he' to 'she' so it fits the characters better!). It's Connie/Rita, and I hope you enjoy it! X_

_In reply to the request for another Connie/Grace one shot, there definitely will be but I'm still working on ideas!_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent<span>

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><p><strong>16. Snowman<strong>

_'Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul, __With a corn cob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made of coal._

_Frosty the Snowman, is a fairytale, they say. __She was made of snow, but the children know she came to life one day._

_There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found, __For when they placed it on her head, she began to dance around!'_

The human beneath the snowman costume danced with passion around the bedroom, swirling and skipping to the melodious tune. Her long, chestnut-coloured hair cascaded over the pure white material of the attire, bouncing on her shoulders as she hopped forward.

_'Oh, Frosty, the Snowman, was alive as she could be; __and the children say she could laugh and play, __just the same as you and me._

_Thumpety thump, thump, thumpety thump, thump, __look at Frosty go._

_Thumpety thump, thump, thumpety thump, thump, __over the hills of snow._

_Frosty the Snowman, knew the sun was hot that day, __so she said, "Let's run, and we'll have some fun now, before I melt away."_

_Down to the village, with a broomstick in her hand, __Running here and there, all around the square, __sayin', "Catch me if you can."_

_She led them down the streets of town, right to the traffic cop; __and only paused a moment, when she heard him holler, "Stop!"'_

She tripped over a pile of clothes that lay in a crumpled cluster - belonging to her partner, obviously - but it didn't dampen her spirits as she leapt back up to her feet and continued to sing with her rich chords and jig around the spacious room; with the carrot nose arched to the side from when she had crushed it during her tumble. A zealous grin polished her features as she completed the festive song merrily, immaturely waving - cute and sensual - then toddled away into the distance.

_'For Frosty, the Snowman, had to hurry on her way, __But she waved goodbye, sayin' "Don't cry, I'll be back again some day."'_

Rita rubbed her eyes sleepily as she roused from her harmonious slumber, squinting at the strident rays of winter sun that glided effortlessly through the petite gap in the good quality curtains, welcoming dawn and chasing the remaining traces and shadows of dusk away in a scamper. She caressed her pounding head - she had definitely had a couple too many last night - and rotated her head to perceive her partner who was studying her tablet intently and immaturely erupted into a spell of giggles as she reminisced her dream.

"What are you laughing at?" The brunette diverted her piercing orbs from the luminous screen to the aspiring nurse, a perplexed frown succumbing her features as she observed her deflate into the memory-foam mattress in a helpless bubble of merry laughs, "Rita? What's so funny?" The authority was increasing in her tone as she demanded to learn the reasons for the younger female's abnormal laughter.

The nurse shrugged futilely as she convulsed with her giggles, "It was just my dream!" She stuttered, chortles capturing her breath and depriving her lungs of the oxygen they desired, "about you!" She added.

The former heart surgeon's curiosity was amplifying, suspicious and apprehensive for the content of the blonde's dream that regarded herself, "Care to enlighten me? Please." She requested sincerely, rich orbs fixated on her lover who was attempting to compose herself, _badly_.

The blonde propped herself up on her elbows, gazing at her boss with traces of nerves, "Well...you were dressed in a snowman costume - which is extremely flattering, you know - and you were dancing around our room singing 'Frosty The Snowman'." A smirk graced her lips as she promptly grasped a feather pillow, clutching it to herself as some sort of weak defence, fearing her girlfriend's reaction and bursting into fresh laughter as she recalled the dazed event.

Connie puckered her flawless brow into an impeccable arc, "A snowman, really Rita?" She attempted to maintain a solemn manner, mortified at the prospect that her lover had hallucinated her clothed in a snowman outfit singing a festive record. But internally, she was creased with laughter at the wild and humorous contents of her partner's vivid imagination. However, she was mumbling curses under her breath because she now had the tune repeating itself irritatingly in her mind.

She nodded fervently, "Yes! And it was definitely you, because the snowman was even wearing Louboutins! And then you tripped over in them, over my clothes."

The clinical lead preserved her deadly serious expression for a moment longer before she couldn't contain her laughter anymore and burst into giggles as she imagined herself in Rita's dream, now also wearing her favourite designer heels. "Well, that doesn't surprise me. You are virtually the messiest person I know!" The thought was hilarious. She mentally concluded that she could twist the dream to her advantage and torment her girlfriend at the same time, rehearsing her initiative.

"Rita..." The brunette pursed her lips together momentarily as she twirled a lock of her dark hair around her fingers elegantly, "Are you sure that was a dream? It could well have been reality, you - we - were so drunk that it is always a possibility..." She teased with a delicate smirk, recalling that the nurse had ingested far more alcohol than herself last night and had totally been away with the fairies. She had managed her drink more tactfully and had definitely been the more sober of the couple.

The nurse inclined forward rapidly, propping herself up on her elbows are glaring at the older female with great concentration, "What? You can't be serious." She scoffed, "It was just a dream." She stated matter-of-factly.

"But was it?" The doctor taunted, "We are all capable of practically anything whilst intoxicated, and we all do stupid things. So maybe I did genuinely dance around in a snowman costume and my Louboutins singing a drunken version 'Frosty The Snowman'. But then again, maybe I didn't."

"Connieee." Rita groaned in shear frustration as she untangled her limbs from the linen bedding and tossed the covers back, authentically beginning to believe that her dream had actually happened, "Tell me the truth, now." She demanded.

"I'm not telling you anything." The former heart surgeon refused, falling back against the mattress innocently and observed Rita's action as she climbed out of bed and cautiously approached the wardrobe - the most logical hiding place for a snowman outfit, if it even existed - and gradually prised the door open.

"There's nothing in there." She exhaled a lengthy sigh of relief, finally believing that she wasn't cracking up whilst still mildly intoxicated with booze after last night. "So it was just a dream..."

Connie shrugged, reluctant to give her partner an answer of satisfaction, "Maybe. But who said I'd hide it in the wardrobe? That is like the most sensible and obvious place." She smiled subtly and grasped her iPad between her fingers, returning to what she had previously been studying.

The blonde rushed out of the room and pounced down the stairs and searched for the costume that she thought was from her dream, peering in every hiding place she could physically think of. But she didn't find any trace of the snowman attire. She sprinted back upstairs and back into the bedroom where she glared the the clinical lead who glanced up smugly, "It was just in your dream." She clarified and continued to scroll on her tablet.

Rita growled in fury, "You are so mean!" She hissed.


	17. Baubles

_**A/N: **Thank you for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated. This one is mainly Connie/Grace, but Lofty, Zoe and Big Mac also make an appearance. If I get the chance and idea, I'll try and write a Lily/Ethan one shot. Hope you like this, sorry it's so late to be posted but I've just finished it. X_

_~Mini Peacelet~_

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><p><span>Wintry Advent <span>

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><p><strong>17. Baubles<strong>

"Grace? What are you doing here?" Connie halted in front of the young girl who was rapidly scurrying across the chaotic ED towards her, scowling in puzzlement about why her daughter was now present at the hospital.

"I got expelled." The girl's tone was casual, as if her announcement wasn't at all serious - and perhaps normal, "And then the nanny quit, so you're stuck with me today." She grinned, excited at the thought of spending the day with her mother.

"Great." The clinical lead's teeth were clenched, sarcasm lacing the one word response as she peered at her designer watch, irritated and repulsed that her daughter had been expelled, again. The department was hectic with a sharp fluctuations of casualties - currently a phase of vast numbers - and there was a shortage of staff, meaning resources were stretched to their limits. And the hospital was no place for her disruptive nine year old. She was desperate to learn what bedlam Grace was now the culprit off but her expertise knowledge was required urgently in resuscitation, "Grace, go wait in my office, please. I'll be back as soon as I can." She instructed, pirouetting in her Louboutins, "Ah, even better. Lofty, please keep an eye on this young lady. Thank you." She then promptly tottered off into resus before the nurse had the opportunity to object.

The little brunette grinned mischievously and scampered across to the designated nurse who was washing his hands thoroughly, "Why are you washing your hands?" She tipped her head to the side marginally, observing curiously.

"So I don't spread germs and infections from patient to patient and around the hospital because we don't want more people to get sick." He replied matter-of-factly, confidentially concerned about the rather odd and stupid question, then dreading what else his boss's daughter would have to say for herself. She certainly wasn't shy.

"But it's a hospital...so it doesn't matter if people get sick because they're already here and you make people better." She frowned as she pulled out a pair of sterile gloves from the box and began to fiddle intently with them.

"Uhm, why don't you go wait in your mum's office...I'm sure she won't be long and I'm sure I can trust you to behave..." Lofty suggested as he confiscated the rubber gloves from the girl and deposited them in the bin, "They are not for you to play with."

Grace glared bitterly at the nurse before obediently following him to the former heart surgeon's confined office and jumped onto the fabric sofa where she perched quietly with her arms folded, nodding at Lofty as he requested for her to stay put and more importantly behave. Once he had departed, she grasped her mother's tablet from her desk and began playing her favourite games to entertain herself.

Connie returned to her office after she had finished treating a patient that had been rushed in, her heels clicking piercingly against the tacky linoleum surface that lined the hospital floors, "Where's Lofty?" She inquired as she gracefully sat beside her daughter on the sofa who was successfully occupying herself.

The girl shrugged futilely, "I don't know. But I'm bored, Mummy." She whinged as she dropped the iPad onto the material beside her, "Can we decorate your mini Christmas tree?" She endeavoured as perceived the artificial tree who's pine needle branches were naked from festive decorations that lay untouched on the ground in a cardboard box.

The leading consultant nodded, "I know you are, darling. We'll go home as soon as possible. Yes, of course." She regained her equilibrium and paced across to the petite tree, enhancing the tree with a set of fairy lights for her daughter so the nine year old could then garnish the branches with baubles and tinsel. Wrapping the lights around the tree was as far as Connie's contribution got as she was called back to resus to perform a 'complex procedure'.

Grace located the large cylinder box that contained a vast number of decorative baubles but sighed in frustration as she was unable to actually get into the contents of the box because of the sticky tape that had been applied generously at the end of last year to seal the tree decorations.

Equipped with the crate of baubles, Connie's daughter wondered out of the office in search of someone with more skill who could open the box for her, or a tool to aid her in gaining entry successfully. She approached Lofty but the nurse had quickly made himself busy and therefore unavailable, so she skipped into the store room in hope of locating some scissors - she comprehended that all the surgical related emergency equipment was gathered in there. And soon enough, she found a pair of metal scissors.

Big Mac had spotted that the door was a jar and proceeded to investigate, crossing his arms as he perceived the child, he faked a cough before speaking, "What are you doing?"

Grace's head shot round abruptly, "Opening this, what does it look like?" She was insolent yet sincere and diverted her concentration back to the task she had started and continued to cut at the sticky tape.

The porter entered the stock room and snatched the scissors from her in which she complained grumpily in response, "You shouldn't be in here, you know. And I don't think a young lady of your age should be using such sharp scissors. Now here, let me." He opened the box in a matter of seconds.

"I'm going now." She rose to her feet, clutching the cylinder of baubles, "thank you," she smiled sweetly before bouncing off to go decorate her mother's little office tree. But on her way back to the small room, she accidentally dropped the container and the baubles poured out rapidly, rolling all across the room in speed, varying in direction. They were everywhere. Instead of making any attempt to collect the baubles, she just sprinted back to the safety of Connie's office.

The clinical lead was heading back to her office to check on Grace when she paused in her tracks as she heard a scream; from Zoe. She dashed over to her fellow college, descending to her knees promptly, "Zoe, are you okay?"

The other brunette nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine." She scanned her surroundings for the perpetrator that had resulted in her tumble, frowning at all the baubles that were scattered across the ground, "Why are there baubles everywhere?" She endeavoured perplexedly, regaining her equilibrium and dusting herself off, straightening her top and skirt.

Connie peered at the baubles and exhaled an exasperated sigh, "Grace," she muttered, "Zoe, I'm sorry. I left her decorating the tree, I don't know why the baubles are all over the floor. But I will find out."

"I'm not questioning your parenting or anything because what would I know. But a hospital isn't the place of a hyperactive child, Connie. Something so simple as baubles on the ground could cause a serious accident. You should be at home with her, where she is continually supervised."

"Yes, Zoe, I am more than aware of that, thank you. But what other choice do I have? We are incredibly short staffed and she just turned up out of the blue! She's been expelled, again!" She sighed and dropped her stethoscope back around her neck.

"I understand that it must be difficult. But although you are trying your best to juggle your role as clinical lead and mother, sometimes you just have to be one or the other. And mother should prioritise." Dr Hanna stated cooly, advising tactics.

Connie didn't respond verbally to Zoe's statement but ordered that someone cleaned up the baubles, then pirouetting in her heels and pacing back into her office where she slammed the door shut behind her, "Grace, why are there baubles all over the floor put there?" She demanded, manner hinted with anger.

"It wasn't my fault!" The girl quickly announced, "Someone bumped into me and I accidentally dropped them!"

"Right, well you should have come and told someone. Gracie, why were you expelled?" Connie inquired curiously, perched on the edge of her pine desk, attitude in her tone that warned the little girl that now wasn't a good time to push her luck and it would be most wise to reveal the truth.

Grace shrugged, "Lot's of reasons. They got angry because I ate all the chocolates left on the class advent calendar." Her voice was nonchalant again, not bothered in the slightest about the reputation for bad behaviour she was obtaining.

The brunette scowled with scorn, appalled at her daughter's confession. She battled to understand her daughter's unruly behaviour because she had definitely not bought her up to act in such an unpredictable way. "Well that's not very nice is it?"

The girl's response came instantly, "It's not very nice that I was the only one in the class that wouldn't get a chocolate because I'm last on the register as I'm the new girl and there is only 24 chocolate but 25 of us!" She huffed with a frown and scuffed her shoes against the carpet sulkily, "They were all teasing me and being mean about it so I ate them all."

The former heart surgeon enveloped her daughter into her embrace, "Well, no, that isn't very nice. But you still shouldn't have ate all the chocolates, darling." Her baby's behaviour was finally taking toll on the sophisticated consultant who was struggling to find a suitable method to cope and deal with it efficiently.


End file.
